f59488a197
- README: SpeckDL pipeline and architecture diagrams - docs/strategy.md: Plan D→C→A→B flow diagram - docs/consulting-packages.md: consulting pipeline flow diagram - New: docs/diagrams/ with 4 static SVGs (dark-mode compatible, responsive viewBox)
178 lines
7 KiB
Markdown
178 lines
7 KiB
Markdown
# Speckl Strategy v2 — Plan D That Feeds B Through A & C
|
||
|
||
> *The open standard is the root. Everything else grows from it.*
|
||
> Prepared by @cos for Scott Scoble · 2026-04-28
|
||
>
|
||
> **Parent:** Greybeard Holdings, LLC
|
||
> **Structure:** Bootstrapped, Scott is CEO
|
||
> **Edge:** We don't need a target customer yet — we build the standard first and let the market find us
|
||
|
||
---
|
||
|
||
## Core Thesis
|
||
|
||
Plan D (open standard + foundation) is not one option among four. It is the **engine**. All revenue flies by on the credibility, adoption, and ecosystem that the open standard builds.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
**The flow:** Open standard (D) builds the language and community → hands-on consulting (C) validates the methodology and funds development → SaaS (A) scales it to more teams and generates real provenance graph data → compliance API (B) monetizes that data at enterprise margins.
|
||
|
||
---
|
||
|
||
## Phase 1 (Now → 3 months) — Establish the Standard (D + C)
|
||
|
||
**Goal:** SpeckDL is real, public, and proven in at least one real system.
|
||
|
||
### Plan D Actions
|
||
|
||
- **Open-source SpeckDL** under Apache 2.0 or MIT on Forgejo/GitHub
|
||
- Publish the language spec, a minimal reference compiler, and Z3 verification example
|
||
- README: "The spec-first language for auditable software" — includes links to methodology paper
|
||
- **Publish the Dark Provenance whitepaper**
|
||
- Title: *"Dark Provenance: Tracing Intent in AI-Augmented Development"*
|
||
- Target: arxiv, dev blogs, standards-body working groups
|
||
- Positioning: formal methods for the AI age — when agents write code, you need provenance
|
||
- **Create a Speckl playground** — browser-based where you write a Speck and see the compiled output + provenance graph
|
||
- **Register speckl.dev / speckl.ai**, set up minimal site
|
||
|
||
### Plan C Actions (funds D)
|
||
|
||
- **Sign 1–2 consulting engagements** with regulated-industry companies
|
||
- Ideal profile: startup in health-tech or fintech that needs compliance from day 1
|
||
- Deliverable: a functioning Speckl system + trained team + full compliance traceability
|
||
- Price: $25k–$75k per engagement
|
||
- **Use these to validate:**
|
||
- Is SpeckDL expressive enough for real specs?
|
||
- Does the tiered agent harness actually reduce spec-to-ship time?
|
||
- What do compliance auditors actually need?
|
||
|
||
### Phase 1 Budget
|
||
|
||
| Item | Cost |
|
||
|------|------|
|
||
| Time (yours) | ~20h/week |
|
||
| Hosting/domains | ~$50/mo |
|
||
| Open-source infra | $0 (Forgejo/Cloudflare) |
|
||
| **Total burn** | ~$50/mo |
|
||
| **Revenue target** | $25k–$150k (consulting) |
|
||
|
||
---
|
||
|
||
## Phase 2 (3 → 9 months) — Build the SaaS (A, fed by D + C)
|
||
|
||
**Goal:** Self-serve Speckl dev tool with paying users; consulting case studies feeding the marketing engine.
|
||
|
||
### Plan A Launch
|
||
|
||
- **Speckl SaaS** — hosted platform where teams write Specks, the agent harness verifies them, and the platform maintains the provenance graph
|
||
- **Landing features:**
|
||
- Speck editor with live Z3 verification
|
||
- Agent harness: Orchestrator → Team Lead → SME tier auto-scaling
|
||
- TillDone condition tracking
|
||
- Provenance graph browser (view the full trace tree)
|
||
- **Pricing:**
|
||
- Free: 3 specs/month, public provenance graph
|
||
- Team: $99/seat/mo, private, unlimited specs
|
||
- Enterprise: custom, on-prem option
|
||
|
||
### How D feeds A
|
||
|
||
- Open-source SpeckDL means new users arrive already familiar with the DSL
|
||
- Community contributors find bugs, suggest features, write integrations
|
||
- The playground converts browsers → SaaS signups
|
||
- Certification program creates a pipeline of "Speckl Certified" engineers who recommend the SaaS
|
||
|
||
### How C feeds A
|
||
|
||
- Consulting case studies become the sales deck: "How [client] saved $X in audit prep using Speckl"
|
||
- Consulting engagements expose real-world requirements that shape the SaaS roadmap
|
||
- Consulting clients become reference accounts and early enterprise SaaS customers
|
||
|
||
### Phase 2 Budget
|
||
|
||
| Item | Cost |
|
||
|------|------|
|
||
| SaaS infra (DO/Vercel) | ~$200/mo |
|
||
| Domain + certs | ~$200/yr |
|
||
| Time (yours + potentially 1 contractor) | ~$5k/mo |
|
||
| **Total burn** | ~$5.5k/mo |
|
||
| **Revenue target** | $0 → $5k MRR |
|
||
|
||
---
|
||
|
||
## Phase 3 (9 → 18 months) — The Compliance API (B, fed by A)
|
||
|
||
**Goal:** Enterprise compliance product with real provenance graph data to stand on.
|
||
|
||
### Plan B Launch
|
||
|
||
- **Speckl Compliance API** — a standalone API that plugs into existing CI/CD
|
||
- Ingest: spec documents, requirements, code
|
||
- Output: compliance evidence bundles, traceability matrices, audit-ready reports
|
||
- Compliance packs: DO-178C ($500/report), IEC 62304 ($500), SOC 2 ($300), ISO 26262 ($500)
|
||
- **Pricing:**
|
||
- API usage: $0.01/provenance-edge/mo
|
||
- Enterprise: $50k–$100k/yr for unlimited provenance + compliance packs + SLA
|
||
|
||
### How A feeds B
|
||
|
||
- Every SaaS user generates real provenance graph data — this validates the methodology at scale
|
||
- SaaS feature requests reveal what compliance officers actually need to see
|
||
- The SaaS pays the bills while B ramps (long enterprise sales cycle)
|
||
|
||
### How D continues feeding
|
||
|
||
- The open standard is the market's trust signal — "this isn't proprietary lock-in, it's an ecosystem"
|
||
- Standards bodies (SAE, IEEE, FDA working groups) adopt Dark Provenance methodology
|
||
- Speckl certification becomes a credential, and B product becomes the tool certified teams use
|
||
|
||
### Phase 3 Budget
|
||
|
||
| Item | Cost |
|
||
|------|------|
|
||
| Infra (scaled) | ~$2k/mo |
|
||
| Team (you + 2 engineers) | ~$20k/mo |
|
||
| Compliance partnerships | ~$5k/mo |
|
||
| **Total burn** | ~$27k/mo |
|
||
| **Revenue target** | $15k–$50k MRR |
|
||
|
||
---
|
||
|
||
## Ownership & Governance
|
||
|
||
**Speckl operates as a brand/property within Greybeard Holdings, LLC.** Not a separate entity.
|
||
|
||
- SpeckDL is open-source (MIT/Apache 2.0)
|
||
- Dark Provenance methodology is published freely
|
||
- Trademark "Speckl" and certification authority held by Greybeard Holdings
|
||
- Commercial products (SaaS, API, consulting) are Greybeard Holdings revenue lines under the Speckl brand
|
||
- **Simple, lean, no overhead.** If Speckl grows to the point where separation makes sense (acquisition target, foundation needed for standards-body adoption), we spin it out then
|
||
|
||
---
|
||
|
||
## Metrics Dashboard
|
||
|
||
The one number that matters at each phase:
|
||
|
||
| Phase | North Star Metric | Why |
|
||
|-------|------------------|-----|
|
||
| **1 (D+C)** | Specks written on the open standard | Adoption = future revenue |
|
||
| **2 (A)** | Provenance graphs created (SaaS) | Real usage = product-market fit |
|
||
| **3 (B)** | Compliance reports exported | Revenue + stickiness |
|
||
|
||
Secondary:
|
||
- Community contributors (Phase 1)
|
||
- MRR (Phase 2–3)
|
||
- NPS among compliance officers (Phase 3)
|
||
|
||
---
|
||
|
||
## Next Actions (In Motion)
|
||
|
||
All parameters cleared. Dispatching now:
|
||
- **@engineering** — Set up Forgejo repo `sscoble/speckl` with MIT license, language scaffold, and README
|
||
- **@market** — Research the regulatory-software landscape, identify where SpeckDL fits, map competitor landscape
|
||
- **@content** — Draft the Dark Provenance whitepaper for publication
|
||
- **@vault** — Index all speckl-related vault notes and build a searchable knowledge base
|
||
|
||
No customer target needed. We build the standard, publish the methodology, and let the market find us.
|